National Republican., 1887-10-21
The Republican Party stiu Lives.


Tie Hon. jefferson Chandler made a
speech before the Maryland Democratic
Club, in which he assumed that the Repub-
lican party was in state Of decadence, and
then he drew graphic picture of the causes
which he claims led to this decadence.
Mr. Chandler says that "the Republican
party has shrunk into minority" and
gives as the reason tor this that at has been
unfaitbful to the constitution OF the United
States" to the "most priceless principles"
TO which, "the right of local self govern
ment,n he said the Democratic party is
pledged.
The Democratic party processes to be in
favor Of "local self government" but its ac-
tions do not keep even step with its profess
sions. Maryland Democrats, to whom Mr..
Chandler was speaking, exemplify 1t byre-
sorting TO the grave yards for votes to control
the city Of Baltimore and the state, and q
grim humorist might insist that the votes
Of dead men whose locus could not be
changed was splendid exemplihcation Of
the idea Of "local self government"
Tie Democratic states Of the south having
failed to establish the "local self govern
ment" they desired, and that, too, BY
methods which left the Republican party
alone faithful to the constitution, now has
what 1t calls ''local self government" estab
lished in some Of the states by dsfranchls.
ing large part Of the local voters.
They hold the government by the combl-
nation of force, fraud, and accident. The
JUDGMENT of the people ia against them,
and 1t is against them because Mr. Chand.
Ter was right when he said there were prln-
Ciples involved on which the parties were
divided.
The Republican party is the one which
advocates "local self government" But 1t
is local self government Of all the people
not of part of them usurping the pow
ers of all, which seems to be the Democratic
idea.
1t was the effort to secure that kind of
''local self govern aent" which caused the
Republican party to pass the thirteenth,
fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to
the constitution of the United States, and
to enact the laws protecting elections and
the civil rights bill, which the Supreme
Court has declared unconstitutional.
1t may be that during the war for the
preservation Of the Union--the integrity
OF the states, and not only "local self
government" but the life OF the nation
that the Republican party used methods
not justified by the constitution. Danger
GUS diseases sometimes require heroic
treatment.
And even after the war was over the
anxiety to protect those whom 1t enfran-
chised-to preserve the results-led Con
grcss into passing laws which, tested in the
alembic Of the constitution, proved to be
without its pale. But 1t was a Supreme
Court, composed OF Republican lawyers,
who decided these questions, and the great
Republican party bowed to the decision OF
the court without murmur.
1t failed In its effort TO establish genuine
local self government, and the bogus arti.
Gle so labeled by the Democratic party has
taken its place. A local self government
in which local ollgarchy controls every.
thing-where the majority is not permitted
10 govern-where the few rule the many, and
where an entire race is reduced to con-
dition Of servile labor.
That Is Democratic local self government,
and, we repeat, Mr.. Chandler was right
when he said principles divided the parties
That great principle upon which the Re
publican party was founded-the principle
that every man In this nation Is entitled to
take part In his own 'local self govern.
meDt-still divides the parties. The Dem
Gratis deny it, and refuse opermit portion
of the people TO participate in local sell
government. But the Republican party
lives to affirm that principle and to estab
lisb ii. 1t lives to make all labor free. as Il
has made all men free.
The mistakes it has made In the past will
be corrected in the future, and the Repub
lican party will continue to exist until ser.
vile laboris abolished, as slavery was abol-
ished-local self-government In which
all men take part is established, and
Democratic oligarchies are destroyed.